At least 30 die in Nigeria fuel tanker blast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Sat January 12, 2008
*
At least 30 die in Nigeria fuel tanker blast*
* Story Highlights
* Nigerian police say more than 30 people killed after fuel tanker
crashes, explodes
* Most victims were believed to be street vendors and workers at the
tanker site
* Incident happened at oil hub Port Harcourt, terrorism is not suspected
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- More than 30 people were killed after a car
crashed into a fuel tanker, which exploded and burst into flames early
Saturday in the oil-rich town of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, police said.
The driver was being chased by police and lost control of his vehicle, a
police spokesman told CNN. He said terrorism was not suspected.
Firefighters battled the fire for hours to bring it under control.
Most of the victims were believed to be street vendors and workers at
the site of the tanker. There were no reports about injuries, but police
said about 15 vehicles were destroyed.
Port Harcourt is the hub of Nigeria's multi-billion-dollar oil industry
and a frequent target of militants demanding a share of the country's
oil wealth.
Last year, more than 200 foreign workers were taken hostage by militants
in the country, the world's eighth-largest crude exporter.